Monday, April 14, 2008

Work with Me...

I was out for dinner last Saturday night with a couple of friends, one of whom asked me how I was possibly going to be able to keep up my blog indefinitely, what with the expense. At first (maybe thanks to a cherry vodka drink), I didn't really get where he was coming from. But then it clicked that he meant "A) How are you going to afford to keep doing the shopping porn posts as they all involve you spending money and B) Where are you going to stash all the things you purchase (cuz you are on a roll)?" BTW, this convo came on the heels of my advising him about what I had just bought that day at vintage stores...

He has a valid point. So I started thinking. Tipsy thinking, but thinking nonetheless. And I came up with a few options:

I could start an online vintage store, allowing me to continue the unbelievably satisfying work of combing through well-loved clothing of day's gone by. (Any of the vintage buyers out there will know exactly the satisfaction of which I speak...) The challenge with this option is that I have a young child and a full-time job and occasionally I like to exercise or read or blog, for example.

I could start styling other people / personal shopping - and not just for people I know.

Personal shopping, you may recall, is an addictive hobby. Some people even make it into a lucrative business. I just want a malleable fashion-lover with holes in her wardrobe looking for someone to help get her where she wants to go.

So here's my call to arms. If you are a woman who would like to enjoy a truly fun shopping experience with another woman who knows quite a bit about where to find cool things in Toronto, please email me and let me know. I ask only that you shop with an open mind, some idea of what you really need / can't live without, and a pre-determined budget. I can offer you a Saturday afternoon and my best advice (I tell it like it is, though politely) and it won't cost you a penny - other than the price of the great things you find that you cannot resist purchasing. Now those are gonna cost you and I am going to get to live vicariously!

PS: Moderation week is done. I'm back to buying cool stuff and trying it on in fun ways and taking pictures which I will post up on the blog this week. Having said that, I've been purchasing vintage so the price point is outrageously reasonable and the loot deliciously unique.

I'm actually thinking of hining my vintage shopping skills. I've never had a keen eye for vintage pieces and am amazed at those who do!! Good luck with your new endeavors. I've contemplated personal shopping once or twice myself...

Firstly, thanks for stopping by my blog. It's great to have another fashion fabulous Mum sharing the love. Feel free to link to me and I will certainly return the favour. :)The Wardrobe make over sounds fun, but watch out for the can of worms. I did do some work as a Personal shopper / Wardrobe Consultant a while back, and found it fraught with dangers I hadn't considered. The two main ones were these.

If your client happens to be the same size/taste as you and there is only one perfect item in the store; it can be very hard to hand over that perfectly finished vintage Dior dress.

I am also a 'tell it like it is' kind of girl ( I do go as gently as possible), and while it may work for Trinny and Susanna, it was not pretty when dealing with strong willed (and delusional) clients.

I wish you the best of luck with all this. Can't wait to hear all about the adventures.

Miss W and Jill: While I'd love to do the vintage thing, realistically there's just no time right now... Jill: Party went well (see my comments on that post for the details). Thanks for asking!

Cordelia: Good vintage is such a beautiful thing. I hear your pain...

Enc: Let's see - you live amongst the sun, surf and sand in the mecca of health food and exercise. I live in Canada. Hmmm... (Of course, you could come to visit and we could go shopping!)

Riz: It's just like everything else. When you start it all seems like a big, scary mishmash, but pretty soon you're sourcing the gems like a pro!

Miss C: Wouldn't that be fun!, but really, I'm just looking to meet some fab, fashionable ladies and get the shopping buzz without spending my own money :-)

SKM: Your blog is great. I've linked to it, fyi... I so agree with your philosophy about style persisting (even after kids!). Have you written about your personal shopper experience on your blog? I think that would make a fun post, for sure (and very useful!) It's just a feeler I'm putting out, who knows if anyone will take me up on it, but I can totally imagine it will be hard to hand over the gorgeous things of which there are only 1! (Hard, but better for the bank account, non?)

Suzanna: Now thank you for asking. It was cherry juice from Iran (the restaurant was Iranian) - very delish and all natural - into which a liberal volume of vodka was added. Did I mention it's an Iranian restaurant / vodka bar? And it tasted just like fruit juice so I kept drinking...

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Form/Function. Line/Curve. Safe/Risk. Art/Craft. Body/Mind.
Fashion intersects these. It's how we express what is popular in what is personal. It's where intellect debates sex; where soft and hard duke it out. So much mystery underpins beautiful things. So much confidence rests upon them. Discuss.